My Favorite Mistake
by KristosLilly
Summary: Dante is Maxie's favorite mistake, and vice versa. Very AU. A 3-part story. (Now complete)
1. Chapter 1

**My Favorite Mistake**

_**This is a 3-part, **__**very**__** AU Dante and Maxie story! It has to be AU because Ethan and Lulu are a couple in this. Yes, Ethan and Lulu (!) but they are NOT siblings here. I never wanted them to be siblings anyway; they were too hot together for that. Speaking of hot, DaMax stokes my fire too. Here is a little fic about them. Part 2 will be up tomorrow.**_

* * *

**Part 1 of 3**

"You have to go, Maxie, you have to!" She screeched, grabbing my arm and trying to pull me off the couch and over to the door.

"No, Lulu, no," I said. "I have been on enough blind dates to last a lifetime and besides, I just broke up with Spinelli. He was my es-"

"Essential person, yeah I know," she said with a roll of her blue eyes. "But this guy, he could be your new essential person."

I glared at Lulu. "You can only have one essential person in this lifetime, Looloo," I said. Of course I knew what I was talking about and as usual, she didn't.

"Please, please," Lulu said. "I really want to hang out with Ethan and -"

"Why can't you two hang out alone, without having two extra people in the way?" I asked. It made sense to me.

"Because I don't know him that well. What if he turns out to be a creep or something?"

"Consider it a lesson learned then," I said. "Now if you will excuse me, there's a carton of Cherries Garcia calling my name."

Lulu released my arm but called after me. "If you don't do this for me, Maxie, I'll never forgive you. You owe me after what happened with Johnny ..."

I froze in my tracks in the middle of the floor. "You promised you would never mention that again, Lulu," I said with my back to her. Nearly sleeping with Johnny Zacchara hadn't been one of my finer moments but he had just been so damn tempting in every way. I think maybe we could have even fallen in love if it weren't for Lulu and I was still as bitter about losing Johnny as she was about losing him to me for about a millisecond.

Lulu sighed loudly. "Sorry, I'm really sorry, Maxie, I'm just desperate here. I finally meet another guy I could possibly have a future with but I guess I'm gun shy..."

I nodded. "Yeah, believe it or not, I can relate," I said and I could except when I felt nervous around a guy I usually cover it by trying to seduce him because I was so utterly lonely and I think people knew that even if no one said it aloud. I knew I couldn't verbalize that.

I sighed and turned back to face Lulu. "If I do this for you, will you promise me that Johnny will no longer be an issue for us?"

Lulu nodded. "Scout's honor," she said holding up two fingers. "This means everything to me, Maxie, thank you so much!"

I sighed again. "At least tell me this guy doesn't wear a pocket protector and is halfway decent looking."

"All I know is that he's an old friend of Ethan's."

"What's his name?" I asked as I started to my door to get dressed.

"Dominic Petrelli or something like that," Lulu answered.

"Interesting name," I said and walked into my room.

XoXoXo

"You look great, Maxie," Lulu enthused as we climbed out of her Chevy and walked towards Jake's Bar.

"You don't need to butter me up," I said. "I'm already here, aren't I?" But I had to admit she was right; I did looking smoking in a black mini-skirt and frilly pink top with my hair all curled and fresh looking. I don't know why I bothered but I figured if I was going to be seen in public on a date with a guy who could possibly be a complete and total loser, I might as well look great doing it.

We walked through Jake's and Coleman immediately zeroed in on us. He always gave me the creeps, the way he undressed me with his eyes. I mean, he was old enough to be my dad. Maybe even my grandfather...

"Hey, ladies, what you havin'?" He asked, leering at us.

"Beer will be fine, Coleman," Lulu answered for us.

"Comin' right up, Chicas," he said.

Lulu smiled and we slid into seats at a table in the corner. "Where are our wonderful dates?" I asked drily.

"On their way I bet," Lulu said and rubbed her hands together. "If this goes well, I think Ethan and I could have a future. I love his accent ..."

"It is pretty sexy," I agreed.

"You better not be getting any ideas about him, Maxie," Lulu said and I rolled my eyes heavenward.

"Shut up, Lulu," was all I could say without verbally or physically assaulting her.

We fell into anxious silence as we waited for 'our' guys to show up. I was sure Lulu had set me up with some freak of nature while she got the hot Aussie guy.

I tapped my acrylic nails on the table top as we waited and stared off into space for a bit before Lulu finally said, "Look, Maxie, they're here!"

I looked up and my caustic reply died in my throat. Moving over to me was none other than Dante Falconeri, my husband!

XoXoXo

Ethan had forced me along on this date and now staring at the tiny blonde watching me with wondrous blue eyes, I realized I had made a very big mistake by coming here. I should have figured fate would deal me this blow when I just got my first big undercover case. She was going to blow my cover for sure and I couldn't have that so I quickly moved over to her and took her hand and kissed it as Ethan introduced us, hoping to subdue her into silence.

Ethan and Lulu watched us with wide eyes and Maxie blushed unmistakably. "Dominic Pirelli, huh?" She said, speaking for the first time as she withdrew her hand from mine quickly. "You don't look like a Dominic. More like a Don or even a Dante ..."

I grimaced. So she definitely remembered me too. I mean, in a way I was glad because I definitely hadn't forgotten her but I had to think of my job first, even though I could drown in those stormy blue eyes of hers.

Ethan laughed and Lulu shrugged. "Sorry, Dominic, Maxie speaks her mind whenever she pleases."

I nodded. "It's okay, I mean as long as she doesn't reveal any life-altering secrets in mixed company..." I said, staring at her pointedly. She glared back at me but said nothing.

Ethan looked at me. He was the only one who knew my true identity besides Maxie and I knew he wouldn't say anything of course but I definitely couldn't be sure about her. The one thing I had learned the weekend we spent together was that she was a pistol and always did the opposite of what was expected.

Ethan seemed to sense my discomfort and turned to face Lulu. "Hey, Lu, why don't we give these two a chance to get to know each other? They're playing our song anyway."

Lulu stared at Ethan. "Since when is 'Redneck Woman' our song?" She asked but she giggled. "Okay I'm game."

My Aussie friend took Lulu's hand and led her out to the middle of the makeshift dance floor as I slid into a seat next to Maxie. "Hey," I said.

"Hello, DANTE," she said acidly. "Or should I say Dominic? Which man did I marry again?"

"Hey, hey, keep your voice down. You'll blow my cover!" I said.

"What cover?" She asked. "The one where you pretend to be something you're not? Did you come here just to mess with my mind?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "Ethan didn't even tell me your name when he asked me to come along on this blind date. I had no idea who I was going to meet."

"But you were planning to dick around on your wife, huh?" Maxie snapped.

I laughed in spite of myself. "We are hardly monogamous, Maxie."

"Oh you remember my name?" She snapped.

"I am sorry I never called you, it's just I had other -"

"Priorities?" she demanded.

"Yeah but it's not what you think."

"I don't care. And you definitely don't want to know what I'm thinking about you right now!" She jumped to her feet and started for the exit in a dramatic fashion. I couldn't help but jump to my own feet and follow after her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2 of 3**

I hurried towards the exit, willing tears not to fall although I could already feel them filling up my eyes. I hated to cry more than anything; nothing sucked more than showing your emotions for the whole world to see, letting them know how easily you could break. And I looked fragile because of my size but always felt especially so though I would tell people I was strong.

Dante, or Dominic, or whatever his name was now, had been a big mistake on my part. I had just lost Jesse and then Lucky too and went down to Vegas for the weekend where I met him drinking in one of the casinos. He came on to me though of course I noticed him sitting there two stools down, noticed he was the only guy worth looking at who wasn't wearing a Stetson. In fact, in the casino he had looked almost underdressed in jeans and a tee-shirt like he wore tonight, but he had caught my eye. We talked, we schmoozed as the saying went, and we drank. A lot. I can't even remember whose idea it was to get married but we did. Right in front of an Elvis impersonator of all things. We woke up in the morning together, naked, and realized what we had done. Neither wanted a lifetime commitment - or so we said - so we agreed to just walk away and pretend it never happened. We didn't even bother filling out annulment papers because we honestly didn't think we'd ever have to see each other again. How wrong we were.

Tears continued to burn my eyes and I realized as soon as I had walked out the exit that I was in the alleyway. Great. Dirty, smelly trash everywhere. I stepped over something suspiciously brown and started walking out of the alley. I figured Lulu would find me eventually and we could go back to our place and forget this horrid night ever happened. I would be sure to also tell her emphatically that I would never, ever go on another double date with her. Not in a million years.

I was walking out of the alleyway when I heard him approaching me and felt his hand on my arm, pulling me back. "Mad Max, don't go," he said.

I sniffed. He had nicknamed me "Mad Max" that weekend in Vegas because he thought I was the wildest woman he had ever met and I resented him using it now to butter me up.

"Let me go!" I snapped. "Leave me the fuck alone!" I tried wrenching my arm free but he held tightly to it.

"Can we talk? Please?" He asked in a low, pleading voice.

"No because I don't talk to strangers, DOMINIC," I said sarcastically.

"About that ... Look I'm undercover. It's my first big case and -"

"Uh huh..."

"Seriously. You have to believe me. I would tell you about it but it's absolutely classified. You can't tell anyone about my real identity."

"The hell I can't!" I snapped, finally wiggling my arm free. "I am going to tell everyone what a lying, manipulative piece of crap you are!"

"Mad Max, you don't mean that."

"Yes I do and stop calling me that!"

"Why are you so mad at me?"

"Because you had the audacity to just show up and take me by surprise and I don't appreciate it at all."

"I told you, I had no idea who I was meeting."

"So you were cheating on me then!"

"You're being irrational. I thought we agreed to move on after that crazy weekend."

"We did."

"And you did, right?"

"Yeah ..."

"So why are you bitching me out now?"

I crossed my arms. "Because I can!" A tear rolled down my cheek then and I went to wipe it away but he was already doing that for me. His hand felt impossibly warm on my skin and I wanted to hate him for touching me again but I couldn't. I didn't pull away.

Not even when he leaned over and kissed me!

XoXoXo

I don't know why but I needed to kiss her. Maybe it was to shut her up. Maybe it was just because I wanted to. Maybe it was because I had never seen more luscious lips than that of my quasi-bride.

I leaned over and pressed my lips to hers, fully expecting her to revolt and slap the shit out of me but to my surprise she kissed me back. She eased her mouth open and I slid my tongue inside her lips, exploring every part of her warm mouth. She tasted like heaven. Cheesy but true.

Finally we parted for the sake of breathing and I rested my forehead against hers. "I should slap you for that," Maxie said.

"Oh come on, isn't that what spouses do? Fight and kiss and makeup and fight and kiss and MAKEUP?"

Maxie sighed. "You're not suggesting ..."

"Would I suggest that?"

"Yes you would. I mean, our marriage was a big mistake."

"Maybe but it was also my favorite mistake ever."

"Shut up. You're stealing from Sheryl Crow with that!" She said but she was laughing.

"But it is true," I said and reached for her hand, threading my fingers through hers. "Hey want to see something?"

"Depends on what that something is ..."

"Just come on," I said and when she nodded, I led her to my car.

I unlocked the door and pulled it open. Then I reached for the glove compartment and pried open the little compartment. I ruffled through the papers, wrappers and other assorted minutiae until I found what I was looking for.

"Aha!" I said and turned around holding it up so the parking lot lights fell on it.

"Ohmigod is that -"

"Uh huh," I said and lowered it so she could see that it was indeed what I claimed it to be.

"Your wedding ring," Maxie said with a smile. "You kept it?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I? I had to remember you somehow, didn't I, and memories weren't enough."

"I kept mine too," she admitted sheepishly.

"Oh really?"

"Yep," she said and went for the latch on her purse. She had to go through like six pouches but she finally held her own ring up triumphantly. "Told you!"

"So what does this mean?" I asked as I grabbed her around the waist.

"I don't know ..."

"You never forgot me, I definitely never forgot you so ..." I took the ring from her hand and slid it back on her finger. "What do you say, Maxie? Will you be my bride? Again."

Maxie smiled even as a tear ran down her face and I reached out to wipe it away. "You don't mean that. What about your undercover career?"

"I will work the case and then when it's over ... We'll announce to the world that we're already married."

"Seriously?"

"Yep. In the meantime, we should definitely get to know each other."

"In the biblical sense, I assume," she said.

"Would I say that?"

"Yep," she said and took my ring and slid it onto my finger. "We'll wear these tonight and then take them off but we'll put them back on when the right time comes."

I nodded. "Sounds like the perfect plan," I said and leaned over, capturing her perfect lips in another kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3 of 3**

_**Six months later...**_

Somehow despite my tendency to talk too much - or flap my jaws, as my secret husband would have put it - and the way we rocked the apartment walls almost nightly, no one seemed the wiser about the two of us. If we ran into each other on the street, we simply smiled in that secret way of ours and walked in the opposite direction. He had taught me a special code for texting and we also had our own chat speak when people came around when we happened to be conversing on the phone. Sure we could have dated as Maxie and "Dominic" openly but it was just more fun and sexy to keep our love to ourselves for now.

And I was sure that I was in love. I think maybe I was the first moment those dark eyes of his flashed on me across that crowded casino. I had loved lots of guys, especially Jesse Beaudry, but somehow those loves had not been meant to last. I felt somehow Dante and I would make it through. We had that super couple, Bo and Hope, kind of love that takes over and fights off every adversity. We were going to make it. I was sure of it this time. That I had found my soul mate. Somehow you just know.

But of course, I'm still Maxie Jones. Even Maxie Jones-Falconeri has doubts. Of course I was worried what would happen after he turned over the evidence on Sonny Corinthos. Yes, that's who he was working for - or against, if you will. I worried he would get shot or worse but I had faith. I tried to anyway. Loving Dante came so easily that I could never learn how to stop. I knew people would hate us for keeping the truth about Dante's identity a secret, would feel that I had betrayed Sonny and his friends and family, but I would have walked through fire at this point to be with Dante. The question of course when he was shot, was could I live a life like this where danger was always just a step away and death was a continuous possibility for us. That would have to be decided soon.

I got the call tonight. Dante said he was going to arrest Sonny within mere days and naturally, I was a bit nervous but he had always sworn he would come home to me and I wanted to believe him. I _did_ believe it against all rational thought.

Still I was scared when Lulu called me from Crimson (for once, I had the night off) and told me Ethan's best friend, Dominic Pirelli, had been shot.

"Ohmigod, Lulu, you're - you're serious?" I asked, tears already rolling down my face.

"Yeah, I am. Ethan's so upset and -"

"That makes two of us," I said.

"Huh?" Lulu asked.

"Never mind. Just tell me where he is."

"He's at GH right now, undergoing major surgery."

"Oh shit. I'll be right there."

"Maxie, it's a madhouse over there, I think they only will let in close family."

"Then I'm in."

"Why is that?"

"Because, LULU, because I am married to him!"

"What the hell? Maxie, are you kidding me?"

"No, it's a long story. I just have to - I have to go see him."

"I'll come and get you. You shouldn't be driving when you're this upset."

"I can't wait that long," I said. "He wouldn't have waited around if I was in this situation either."

"Maxie -"

"I'm not lying, Lulu!"

"Okay, I believe you. It's just you should know, Dominic's real name is Dante."

"I know."

"Do you also know that you have just inherited a very pissed off father-in-law by the name of Sonny Corinthos?"

"What?" I screeched. "Sonny is - Sonny is Dante's father?"

"I know. Craziness, huh? I will meet you at the hospital. You're going to need someone."

"I just need Dante," I cried. "I just need my husband."

XoXoXo

As I drove nearly blinded by tears through the Port Charles streets, I tried to think when I had changed. If Dante had changed me, or if something else had changed me. The old Maxie was fragile and weak though she hid it behind a larger-than-life personality and a big Prada purse. But she was scared inside. Scared to love because it would only end in hurt and pain. I had lost so many people in my lifetime and I was afraid that I would lose Dante too but he had promised me he would always come home to me and I was going to hold him to that promise too. He was the best thing that ever happened to me and I wasn't letting him get away so easily.

Still my nerves felt frayed and weak when they needed to be strong as steel. I climbed out my car and hurried inside the hospital. Lulu had been right. It was a madhouse. People were milling around in the waiting room, Jason was fuming in a corner with Sam, Sonny was shouting death threats to everyone, and my mother-in-law was crying rather violently in the middle of the room.

I squared my tiny shoulders and pushed my way through the throng. "Where's Dante?" I asked, my voice raw and hoarse with crying. "Where's my husband?"

That stopped traffic in the room. Everyone turned to look at me and I realized I had the attention of practically the whole hospital.

"Your _husband?"_ Olivia echoed. "Are you trying to say my son Dante is -"

I nodded. "Yeah, my husband. It's a long story but I want to see him. I want to see him right now and I'm not leaving until I make sure he's okay."

"You're mistaken, Maxie," Olivia said. "Either that or you'll playing some really cruel joke because -"

"Why would I lie?" I demanded. "I am not making this up. I have nothing to gain." I pulled my necklace out from my shirt and there dangled the only evidence I had that Dante was the world to me and I was the world to him too.

"You're kiddin' me right?" Sonny said. "You married Dante? Did you know all along who he really was?"

"Yeah, I did," I said, meeting Sonny's cold eyes. "Now you can bitch me out for that later but I am going to see Dante if I have to search every room for him."

"I don't believe this. You knew and didn't say a damn word!" Sonny thundered.

"It wasn't my place."

"Well neither is this, dammit," Sonny spat.

Olivia finally stepped forward and touched my shoulder. "Crazy as this sounds, I believe Maxie. I actually believe she knows Dante and wants what's best for him. I think she should be allowed to see him and Sonny, you have no say in the matter, considering you were the one who shot my boy!"

"That was you?" I demanded of Sonny and without giving it too much thought, swung out my hand and connected it as hard as I could with his cheek. Normally a person didn't do something like that if they wanted to live but Sonny just glared at me.

"That was dumb of you, Maxie!" he snapped. "However, it's obvious that you care about Dante so -"

"So I'm going to see him and no one's going to stop me. So what's his room number?"

"Its 245, Maxie," Dr. Matt Hunter spoke up, forcing his way through the crowd. "But it doesn't look good. He hasn't woken up yet according to my brother."

I held back a fresh wave of tears. "I will make him," I said and hurried down the hall.

XoXoXo

I somewhat sensed rather than felt, a comforting, familiar presence approach me. I sensed my hand was lifted and squeezed and I knew it was her. My Mad Max. My wife. My everything now.

I could have opened my eyes right then but it was hard and a part of me just wanted to hear what she had to say so I stayed still, prostrate and unmoving, even as I felt life beginning to stir inside of me again. I remembered fighting with Sonny Corinthos and that was it. I figured he had plugged me but I didn't care because if I was dead, then having my wife, my girl, here was everything to me. It was my own version of heaven, a place I had never expected to go.

"Hey, Dante -" sniffle, sniffle - "it's me, your wife, your crazy Mad Max. I just told everyone we are married and I am not sure they even believe me so I would appreciate it if you woke up and told them the truth so they don't put me in a straight jacket and haul me off before I can see you open your eyes. And I know you're going to open your eyes because you swore so many times that you would never leave me and I believed you, damn you. I believed everything you said. I fell for every word hook, line and sinker and now you'd better wake up and make all those promises you made come true. I won't ever forgive you if you go and die on me and leave me alone again. You made me feel so strong and you made me angry but you also made me so happy. Maybe us getting married was a mistake but it was my favorite one ever -" laughs - "Now look, you have me stealing from Sheryl Crow too! So come on and wake up and be my favorite mistake and be my husband for the world to see. Most of all, be mine forever ... Please!"

She crumbled into sobs and this time I forced myself to peel open my eyes and look over at her. "Wow," I said in a soft but admiring voice, "how the hell am I supposed to say no to that?"

Maxie looked up, her big, beautiful blue eyes crystallized with tears. "Ohmigod!" She mouthed. Then she shouted, "Ohmigod! OHMIGOD! You're awake and you heard all that stuff I said!"

"Yeah, I did," I said. "But don't be mad for me not waking up right away, I loved hearing your bedside declaration."

Maxie fumed openly. "I should put you back into a coma for that!"

"But you won't cause I'm your husband and you love me," I said, reaching out for her warm hand and closing my larger one around hers.

"Sure use my words against me," she said but she was trying to hide a smile.

I picked up the sheets covering my body and pulled her closer to me. "Get in," I said.

"Demanding much?" She sniffed but finally climbed in beside me. I slid my aching body around hers, spooning her with my own body, mine molded to her much smaller, and more delicate one. But I realized that she was the one of the two of us that was the least delicate inside, the one who was the strongest. She was easily the most infuriating and yet impossibly amazing woman I had ever met and I knew I would spend the rest of my life with my favorite mistake of all time.

I kissed her forehead. "I love you, Mad Max."

"I love you too," she said without hesitation and I knew that that was probably hard for her. She had lost so much more in her life than anybody had a right to and she was still going to love me two-hundred percent. I would have to make sure to always do the same, not that it would be hard. She may be a bit crazy and irrational and wild at times, but that was all that made her what I wanted. The cliché of her being everything I never knew I wanted; it was true here. She could have been scared and ran for the hills but she stayed and faced my crazy friends and family and that made all the difference.

"Should I call the doctors for you?" She asked, twisting in my arms to get a better look at me.

"Nah. Let it wait a moment. I just want to look at you, Maxie, and tell you how lucky I am to have you in my life."

"Ditto," she said. Then she kissed me in such a way that the heart monitors literally skipped a beat as she completely stole my breath away.

We both laughed when we had pulled apart. "You are going to stop my heart," I said.

"You already have mine," Maxie said and then leaned into me. I lifted the necklace from around her head and then slid her wedding ring onto her finger.

"Its real now, huh?" She said.

I nodded. "It always has been."

And then I held her for the longest time, knowing that this time I was never going to be stupid enough to let her get away.

FIN!

**Thanks for reading, everyone. Hope the ending wasn't too cheesy!**


End file.
